Too glitzy for fifty?
Sunday, 23 December 2018
There is a rumour abroad, that as a woman hits 50, (or her prime as Jane and Beryl like to call it), she should tone down her former sequin-strewn, hot panted-self in favour of a more sophisticated approach to glitz and glam. Jane and Beryl (mostly) agree, less is more when it comes to the spangly stuff. Here, they wear their glittering prizes with unaccustomed restraint.
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| Shiny shirt, £119 The Hambledon, Winchester |
The shiny shirt
Jane is nothing short of losing all her marbles at this time of year as she waves off her imaginary Christmas guests in an attempt to do some method acting for the blog. Beryl puts it down to a toxic build up from eating trifle for breakfast and, who knows? she may well be right. Whatever, a shiny shirt is a WOACA's best friend during the yuletide festivities.
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| Skirt £22 New Look |
The lurex cocktail sweater
Since much of Beryl's social life is now conducted in the afternoon, a piece of sparkly or bejewelled knitwear is a must. This year Bezza has broken out hers with a leopard print pleated skirt, to let everyone know that she is on the fashion button.
This outfit could take Beryl anywhere, from The Garden Club dinner to School of Rock, The Musical with her new outlaws.
It is the colour of caramelised brown sugar, and therefore a welcome change from the ubiquitous black. Pattern and sparkle together, that will be mentioned at the village coffee morning, she thinks.
The spangly dress
This is a Phase Eight dress which Bezza abandoned a while ago as too big for her snake-like hips, Jane shoved in the back of her wardrobe for a rainy day, and sadly there it has stayed despite many such inclement occasions... perhaps now is its moment? Jane has decided it could work with her Wallis gold jacket as it splits her body into three parts, but as an all over glitter ball? She thinks not. |
| Jacket Cabbages and Roses £12 (second hand) Pink velvet trousers £28 (second hand) Phase Eight boots £120 bag £16.50 |
The glittery jacket
Bezza realises that there are those that would rather poke their eye out with a stick than be seen in public in sequinned jacket. Too Liberace, too Elvis, too Dolly. People, she has found, quite like others wearing adventurous stuff and are generally too polite to tell her when she gets it badly wrong. Apart from the one lady who told her that the charming Chinese silk dressing gown she was sporting as an evening coat, would look marvellous on someone taller... humph.
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| Top Zara vintage, jacket Hobbs vintage, trousers Anthropologie sale £68 |
The subtly glittery top
Having rejected the all-over glitter, Jane thinks that something a touch more subtle could be the answer. This top from Zara, of uncertain vintage, nicked from her daughter's chuck out bag is rather to her liking - so subtle that Beryl's top of the range camera (iPhone 7) doesn't pick up its sparkle at all. And so, dear reader, you must take Jane's word for it when she tells you that there really is some there.
Having rejected the all-over glitter, Jane thinks that something a touch more subtle could be the answer. This top from Zara, of uncertain vintage, nicked from her daughter's chuck out bag is rather to her liking - so subtle that Beryl's top of the range camera (iPhone 7) doesn't pick up its sparkle at all. And so, dear reader, you must take Jane's word for it when she tells you that there really is some there.
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| Phase Eight £59 (20% sale day)Whistles lace blouse £150 |
The embellished trouser
These cunning trews from Phase Eight have a diamante strip running down the seam, and are the very essence of grown up insouciant glam. The jacket is the creation of her pal, Jane, who made it as a ringmaster's costume for a New Year fancy dress party. Beryl thinks it's too lovely for the dressing up box and should be worn often.
Vintage Hobbs dress £30, Zara boots £79
The black beaded sparkle
Sparkle needn't be the full Blackpool Tower Ballroom glitter ball. Here, Beryl wears a vintage Hobbs dress with a big taffeta skirt and black beaded waist-band. This is almost too subtle and grown up for our diddy-diva so she has wrestled a pair of Zara pointed sparkly boots out of her daughter's closet. After all what are daughters for.
Jane and Beryl would like to wish all their readers a happy and healthy 2019, and above all thank them for following and reading the antics of two middle-aged, clothes-loving, has-beens . They will be back in the new year to report from the front-line of being fifty. Merry Christmas to you all.
These cunning trews from Phase Eight have a diamante strip running down the seam, and are the very essence of grown up insouciant glam. The jacket is the creation of her pal, Jane, who made it as a ringmaster's costume for a New Year fancy dress party. Beryl thinks it's too lovely for the dressing up box and should be worn often.
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The black beaded sparkle
Sparkle needn't be the full Blackpool Tower Ballroom glitter ball. Here, Beryl wears a vintage Hobbs dress with a big taffeta skirt and black beaded waist-band. This is almost too subtle and grown up for our diddy-diva so she has wrestled a pair of Zara pointed sparkly boots out of her daughter's closet. After all what are daughters for.
Jane and Beryl would like to wish all their readers a happy and healthy 2019, and above all thank them for following and reading the antics of two middle-aged, clothes-loving, has-beens . They will be back in the new year to report from the front-line of being fifty. Merry Christmas to you all.
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